History
by The World Is Alive
Summary: It's been a while since Mira's joined SHIELD. Now she's ready for her first mission. Only problem is the mission is to watch over Tony Stark. Oh, and now she has some maniac known as the Mandarin to worry about. History has a tendency to repeat itself. And everyone is about to learn that the hard way. Rated T for safety. Sequel to Promise.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

_A famous man once said, 'We create our own demons.' Who said that? What does that even mean? Doesn't matter. I said it 'cause he said it. So now, he was famous and that basically getting said by two well-known guys. I don't, uh... I'm gonna start again. Let's track this from the beginning._

When I was a kid, I never expected much in my life. I was a happy six-year old with a loving family. But my life changed on the day of my birthday. That was the day I followed Kevin Flynn to the Grid. He was the Grid's Creator.

And as for the Grid itself? It's a digital utopia, designed to simulate real-life events. I've learned at a young age that programs were more than just human. They had emotions and could go beyond what they were programmed for. During my time on the Grid, I was captured by a program known as Rinzler. Rinzler was a soldier repurposed by Clu, the Grid's former ruler. And it was Rinzler that gave me the scars that now cover me.

For cycles I'd been living on my own, struggling to survive at the edge of Argon City. It was the last city that was free of Clu's generals. But soon that was taken over as well. And that was when I met Beck and Tron. We formed a team to fight in the Uprising. Everything we did was to keep programs safe from the horrors Clu and his generals forced upon them.

After meeting with Beck again when I chose to leave them, we were forced to flee from the Grid. Clu had discovered who the infamous Renegade was. And he was determined to bring down anyone that opposed him.

Beck and I made our way back to the real world. That was when we met the Avengers, and SHIELD. From than on, my life was changed forever. Finding out that you're adopted is never easy. Finding out that your parents are a couple of master assassins? That was even more difficult to live with.

All of that was behind me though. If I could change anything in the past, I wouldn't. Despite the horrors of what I've been through, I've gotten stronger because of them. But history always seems to have a way of repeating itself.

_Yeah, those were good times. Then I moved on. After a brief soiree in an Afghan cave, I said goodbye to the party scene. Forgot about that night in Switzerland. These days I'm a changed man, I'm different now. I'm... well, you know who I am._

* * *

**AN: So here's the prologue for History. I'm really excited about this one, mostly because I love Iron Man :) Please let me know what you thought of this!**

**Forgot to mention that the words in italics are quotes from the movie. Obviously I don't own them in any way, as much as I would want to XD**

**End of Line**


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

_"Sir, please may I request for a few hours to calibrate..."_

_"Nope. Forty-eight... Ah! Micro-repeater implanting sequence complete."_

_"As you wish, sir. I've also prepared a safety debriefing for you to completely ignore."_

_"Which I will. Right, let's do this... Dummy, hi Dummy. How did you get that cap on your head? You earned it. Hey! What are you doing in that corner? You know what you did. Blood on the mat. Handle it."_

_"Sir, may I remind you that you've been awake for nearly seventy-two hours."_

. . .

The Grid. An endless expanse of technology with an unlimited use of ideas. For the last few days I'd been jumping between worlds to check on Beck and Tron. As usual they kept themselves busy. The cities were finally getting restored to their former glory. The games had been all but put to an end.

For the first time in cycles, the Grid finally looked like what Kevin Flynn had envisioned it to be. I imagined he was up there in heaven watching with a grin as we fixed the mess Clu left behind.

Clu was the ruler of the Grid. While I was stuck on the Grid, we were desperate to take him down. He had murdered so many programs. And he had repurposed so many that they had almost been forgotten. Some of them were so loyal that we had to derezz them.

But now things were peaceful. I could relax while Tron kept an eye on security. Viruses were a constant threat to the ever expanding Grid. And Gridbugs often threatened the cities if they weren't kept clean. Beck and his team were running constant patrols to make sure Gribdugs didn't pose a threat.

"So you haven't gotten any calls from the boss?" Beck asked as we reached the club.

It was one of the most popular spots in Argon City. Beck kept his helmet on for obvious reasons. He was once known as the Renegade, and had been one of the most wanted programs in Argon. But even when Clu was taken down, he was still afraid to show his face around his friends.

"Surprisingly, no," I replied with a shrug.

For those who are new, I work for SHIELD. Well, I shouldn't say I _work_ for them. I'm more of a freelance agent. Kind of like Clint and Natasha. So when there wasn't a threat hanging on the User world, I got to spend most of my free time on the Grid.

"That is surprising." I could almost hear the grin in Beck's voice.

Director Fury hadn't called me in days. I guessed that he was busy fixing the mess that was caused by Clu a few days ago.

Clu had almost destroyed the Grid by planting fail-safes throughout the cities. Thankfully the team that I was with went willingly. But in the process of saving the Grid, I was almost killed. Again. Yeah, had to explain to Clint and Natasha why I spent a few days in the hospital.

Let's just say they weren't happy to find out what had happened. I think Clint was ready to explode when he found out that I was the one who saved the Grid. I used the disk enhancer that Sam had given me to stop the Grid from falling apart. And it drained almost any energy I had left.

"Hey, over here!" I spotted Mara sitting on one of the sofas placed throughout the room.

The clubs weren't like they had been cycles ago. They were more welcoming and open to anyone in the public. Sam hooked the Grid up with movies from the User world. And right now the National Treasure was playing on one of the monitors.

I hadn't seen that movie in a while. Not since Tony dragged me and Steve to a rented out theater to watch it. Those were good times. Steve actually enjoyed the movie as much as I did.

"So how'd the patrol go?" Mara asked when we joined her. Zed was sitting on the other side, watching the movie with wide eyes. They were at the scene where the Declaration of Independence gets stolen.

"Not bad. So far the streets are quiet," Beck replied.

He was disguising his voice. Again. I tried not to roll my eyes when Mara raised an eyebrow. I had a feeling she already knew who Tron's favorite student was by now. Beck had changed his suit long ago before the team was set up. The new suit had few white circuits on it, making it look almost like Rinzler's suit.

"Really, 'cause last time I went out there were Gridbugs crawling all over the edge of the city," Zed muttered.

"Gridbugs have always been a problem," I retorted. "They're not going to go away any time soon."

They were some of the many joys of living on the Grid. But unlike insects in the User world, Gridbugs could cause problems. Some had eaten away at the old system, according to Sam and Quorra. They had to rewrite an entire section of the Grid because of them.

Just as Zed was about to argue, the screens began to flicker. Zed nearly fell out of his seat when images began appearing on the monitors. Both Beck and Mara stood up once the face of a strange looking User with a goatee appeared on the screen.

"Some people call me a terrorist, I consider myself a teacher." My eyes narrowed as I wondered how this was even possible. Had someone hacked into the system? The only ones capable of that were Tony and Sam. And I doubted this was one of Tony's childish pranks. "America, ready for another lesson? In 1864 in Sand Creak, Colorado, the U.S. military waited 'till the friendly Cheyenne braves were away hunting. They waited to attack, and slaughtered their families left behind and claim their land."

Shivers ran down my arms as more images appeared on the screen. People holding guns and firing their weapons seemed to appear the most.

I'd never heard of this moment in history. I wasn't exactly up to speed with history at the moment. Since most of my life was spent on the Grid, I never took the time to appreciate American history. Now I almost wished I had. Maybe Steve could share some of his stories with me when I got back.

"Thirty-nine hours ago the Ali al Salem Air Base in Kuwait was attacked. I-I did that. A quaint military church filled with women and children, of course. The soldiers were out on maneuver. The braves were away. President Ellis you continue to resist my attempts to educate you. And now, you've missed me again. You know who I am. You don't know where I am. And you'll never see me coming."

The screen suddenly went back to the movie. We had missed the chase scene, but by now that didn't matter. My heart was pounding, and I'm pretty sure everyone else could hear it.

"Who the heck was _that_?" Mara finally broke the uneasy silence that filled the room.

"I better go," I said after realizing that Fury was probably calling me. Beck glanced at me in what I guessed was alarm. "I'll be fine," I added.

I pressed the alarm that sent a signal to the Digitizer. Tony had moved the one in Stark Tower to my apartment. Thankfully it didn't take up too much space, and I hid it in a corner that didn't make it look obvious.

In a matter of seconds I was back in my room. And sure enough when I checked my phone, there were several missed calls. To my surprise, one of them was from Tony.

Rinzler was curled up on my bed as I sat down and dialed the number. I turned on the small TV in my room once the phone started ringing.

"Central to my Administration's response to this terrorist event, it's a newly minted resource..." I raised an eyebrow when I saw President Ellis himself giving a speech on what had just happened.

I've only seen the President once or twice. But I never met the guy in real life. From what I've heard he was a good President, to some extent. But like every great political leader, he had his faults.

"I know him as Colonel James Rhodes. The American People will soon know him as the Iron Patriot." This time I did a double take to see that the President wasn't lying.

_And Stark is okay with this_? I thought with a roll of my eyes.

James Rhodes. I'd heard of him before, but I never met him. Apparently he was one of Tony's best friends. The guy stood up for Tony when the public threatened to take away his suits. And even when Tony had attacked him he still remained a friend.

Something told me that things were about to get much worse. This random guy with a goatee managed to scare the crap out of everyone in the club. And he had hacked his way into the Grid. Minutes seemed to pass until Tony finally picked up his phone.

"This is Tony speaking, who's this?"

"Don't you have caller ID?" I demanded after holding back a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, not the time for joking," came his blunt response. "So what do you need?"

Why did he always expect me to need something when I called? Sometimes it was nice to just chat. But this time I did have a serious question. Mostly whether or not he had recently hacked into the Grid or paid it a visit.

"So, Iron Patriot." There was a pause before Tony responded.

"Yeah, he's sitting right by me." Another pause as Tony announced who he was talking to. I could've sworn I heard him ask whether or not this was some kind of joke. "A friend of mine," I heard Tony say as Rhodes asked who I was.

I was thankful Tony didn't throw out the real reason behind us knowing each other. Thankfully the news leak was old news, and by now most people had forgotten. But every now and than a few strangers would compare me to Natasha and Clint.

Moments later I could hear Tony talking to Rhodes about the bombings. Apparently the terrorist's name was the Mandarin. I'd never even heard of that name before. And apparently neither did Tony. Rhodes mentioned something about the phone still being on, and this being classified information.

_If it's classified than they shouldn't be out in public_, I told myself with the slightest of smirks. My confusion only grew when I heard the voices of kids talking in the background. At one point I heard Tony mention how much he 'loved seeing you' in A Christmas Story.

Trying not to laugh, I finally decided to hang up until I heard Tony gasp in panic. "I broke the crayon," he muttered.

This was one of those moments when I really wished I was there. Moments later and I heard Rhodes shouting in the background. "Wait a minute, Tony!"

By now I decided it was time to hang up. Clearly something was wrong, and I wanted no part of it.

Rinzler finally opened an eye to see what was going on. I rubbed the back of his ear reassuringly. He was lucky that the most drama he'd ever face was getting his claws caught in clothing or furniture. Pepper had told me about his latest attempt at claiming Tony's couch in the living space. It ended miserably.

"Don't worry, everything's fine," I murmured.

Looking out the small window, I realized that that would never be true. Our lives would never be easy. And for the first time, I realized that I was thankful for that.

* * *

**AN: So there's the first chapter! What did you think? Probably not my best writing, but I tried. I do not own the quotes from the movie, as much as I would love to. And yes, this does have a tie-in with the Grid ;) Big thanks to 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**End of Line**


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_"Happy."_

_"Yes?"_

_"Okay, I'm thrilled that you're now head of security, okay? It's the perfect position for you."_

_"Thank you."_

_"However..."_

_"I do appreciate it."_

_"Since you've taken the post-"_

_"You don't need to thank me."_

_"We've had a rise in staff complaints of nearly three hundred percent."_

_"Thank you."_

_"That's not a compliment."_

_"Well clearly it is. Someone is obviously trying to hide something."_

_"Happy, we'll talk about this later. But right now I have to deal with this... very annoying thing."_

_"How so?"_

_"I used to work with him, and he asked me out all the time. So it's a little awkward."_

_"I don't like the sound of that."_

. . .

Snow crunched under my feet as I made my way to the Hub. The Hub was the central base of operations for SHIELD. I spent most of my afternoons here when I wasn't on the Grid. Training new recruits or helping SHIELD agents when they needed.

So far we knew little to nothing about the Mandarin. Other than the fact that he wanted to prove some kind of point to the President.

Director Fury had called me earlier about an assignment I was supposed to leave for. And lucky me, it was the day after the Mandarin's first attack on the media. I'm not even sure what to make of the Mandarin. If he was smart enough to hack into the Grid, than the possibilities were endless.

"Hey Mira, what are you doing here?" I folded my arms when Steve approached me.

Every now and than he worked at the Hub as well. Mostly doing field work or off on missions to take down SHIELD's endless list of enemies. His latest mission had been somewhere in the Middle-east.

"She's here to speak with me," Director Fury said before I could reply.

Steve simply shrugged his shoulders in response. He thought nothing of it and left us standing there in the main lobby. A few SHIELD agents were either leaving or returning from their latest missions. I noticed that most of them were dressed for the occasion.

"So where am I going?" I asked after following Director Fury to one of the many rooms used for interrogations. I remembered the first time Beck and I were approached by SHIELD. We had to spend some time in one of these rooms during our first encounter.

"This is about the Mandarin, and Mr. Stark," Director Fury explained after passing me a few files. "I'm sure you've heard of him already."

"The Mandarin? He managed to hack into the Grid's network," I told him.

I raised an eyebrow when I saw the name of a company written at the top of one of the files. AIM. Wonder what that stood for?

"So far we know next to nothing about the Mandarin," he said. "And we were hoping you could find out more through Mr. Stark."

How would Tony know who the Mandarin is? From what I could tell this guy was a nutcase that wanted to terrorize the world. But I supposed that Fury did have a valid point. Maybe with Stark's history, he would know a thing or two about the Mandarin.

"I'll ask Tron if he can find any leads." I grabbed the files after giving them a thorough look. Seems like this Aldrich Killian character had something to do with the Mandarin. Maybe Tron could look into his files as well when he had the chance.

"Just remember to be careful," Fury ordered.

Rolling my eyes, I simply waved at him before stepping out of the room. Given my track record, I couldn't blame him for his worry. I had a tendency to jump into danger without thinking of the consequences. Tony said something about me being 'danger prone', whatever that meant.

A note was stuffed in one of the files on what my latest mission was. Follow Tony around and figure out who the Mandarin was.

_Never thought I'd be playing the spy_, I thought after stuffing the note in my pocket.

That was something Natasha and Clint were masters of. And so far the only skills I inherited from them was my fighting skills. Most of those skills had been self taught. But Quorra and Tron had taught me just about everything I knew.

I made my way back to the apartment, still thinking of what had happened yesterday. The news was still blaring on about the Mandarin and his last attack. Everyone was worried he'd strike again without warning.

Who could blame them for their worries? A few days ago they thought the world was safe. Even I knew that safety would never be possible. Living on the Grid had proven that.

. . .

By the time I reached my apartment it was snowing outside. The last time I had seen snow was when I was on the Grid. Here in the User world, the snow as actually pretty to look at. It covered the streets, cars and buildings. People walking by took little notice of the snow and blustery winds.

_Christmas is almost here_, I thought after walking inside. Of all the memories of my childhood, I really wish I could remember Christmas.

It was one of the best holidays of the year. From the music, the colors, and the idea of Christmas. The fact that just about every nation celebrated it made things even better. Christmas was one of the many holidays ignored on the Grid. Programs never saw the point of celebrating it. And when Clu took over, the idea of it was forgotten.

I dropped my files on the table so that I could sift through the messages on my phone. So far Fury was the only one that had called me since the Mandarin's appearance. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Rinzler was sitting on the sofa, eyes glowing with excitement when I approached him. I only just noticed that under his paws was what looked like an envelop.

"What is that you're holding on to?" I asked after grabbing the letter.

To my surprise there wasn't a return address on the side of the envelope. But I did recognize the handwriting. From what I'd gathered getting a handwritten letter in this day and age was rare. Most messages were typed or sent by e-mail.

Carefully I opened the letter, to see that it was from Natasha. Rolling my eyes, I read over what she had written.

She was concerned about the Mandarin. No surprise there. But what really caught my attention was how she had already known about my first mission. A mission that involved tracking down Tony Stark to ensure that he could actually take care of the Mandarin.

_I suppose I shouldn't be too annoyed_, I thought after placing the letter on the table. At least she showed signs of caring.

They wouldn't be around for Christmas. Apparently both Natasha and Clint were off on their own missions. Holidays didn't seem to matter to SHIELD. But it was probably better they weren't around. Judging from the threat the Mandarin posed, they wouldn't let me wander very far.

"I'll be back soon," I murmured after rubbing Rinzler behind the ear. He simply purred in response before I turned on the Digitizer.

Beck wouldn't be happy with the latest news. Tron would likely blow a circuit when he found out what Fury was getting me into.

. . .

_"After years of dodging the President's ban on 'immoral biotech research', my think tank now has a little something in the pipeline. It's an idea we like to call Extremis. I'm gonna turn your lights down... Regard the human brain... Oh, hold on, that's the universe, my bad. But if I do that... That's the brain. Strangely magnetic though, wouldn't you say?"_

_"Wow, that's amazing!"_

_"Thanks, it's mine."_

_"What?"_

_"This... you're inside my head. It's... It's a live feed. Come on up, I'll show you. Come on... now, pinch my arm. I can take it. Pinch me."_

_"What is that?"_

_"It's the primary somatosensory cortex. It's the brain's pain center. But this is what I wanted to show you. Now, Extremis harnesses our bioelectrical potential and it goes... here. This is essentially an empty slot, and what this tells us is that our mind, our entire DNA in fact, is destined to be upgraded."_

_"Wow, that sounds incredible. And to my ears it also sounds highly weaponisable. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to turn down your offer."_

. . .

Needless to say Beck was worried after I told him what Fury had told me. I had asked Tron to look up files on the Mandarin and a project known as the Extremis project. According to Fury the files should have been locked away years ago.

But someone managed to find the secrets to Extremis and was exploiting it to make an army of some sort.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Beck asked as we left the safehouse. Tron was using it as a base for every program that was part of his team. There were bunkers placed throughout the safehouse for programs that didn't have jobs like Beck and his friends.

"No," I admitted with a shrug. "But someone has to keep an eye on things."

I bit the bottom of my lip after saying that. I was responsible for keeping an eye on Tony Stark. Something told me that the mission wasn't going to end well.

"So the Mandarin... managed to hack into our system, and now you're supposed to find him?" That about summed things up. Technically I wasn't supposed to go after him. The Mandarin was Stark's enemy, not mine. But when he hacked into the Grid, I wasn't about to let him get away with it.

"Don't worry about me," I reassured him. "I'll be fine."

Beck finally turned to face me. Even with the helmet hiding his face, I knew that he was hiding a glare. I tried not to smirk as I folded my arms.

"I hope you're right," he sighed after admitting defeat.

"I'll be back before I leave," I said before pushing the button that would send me back to the User world.

That was one design I was thankful Tony had invented. Now there was more than one way to get out of the Grid. Flynn had made it so that the Portal only opened from the outside. But after getting stuck on the Grid, his son, Sam Flynn, made sure that never happened again.

_Please let them all stay safe_, I silently prayed after returning to the User world. The last thing I wanted was for the Grid to get caught in the crossfires.

* * *

**AN: Man it has been a while since I updated. Sorry about that :( I've been a tad busy with... things. But I'm back, and hopefully the next update won't take nearly as long! Thanks to 2theSky, PrincessKai317 and TheUprisingBegins6712 for reviewing! You guys are awesome!**

**End of Line**


	4. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

"**Love, I have waited for you, And love, I was wounded for you, Won't you look into my eyes, Through the pain and through your pride, And find I am true, You're the one I can't deny, And I'll never leave your side, I gave my life for you, So what are you waiting for?**"

Music blasted from my earphones as the car drove on. Grant was less than happy to be assigned as my escort. And I was less than happy to learn that he would be taking me to my latest mission.

I wasn't exactly familiar with the world we lived in, making it difficult to reach my destination. It didn't help that I needed a driver's license to get anywhere. Thankfully Fury had seen through this flaw before things went from bad to worse.

"So, how's life on the Grid?" Grant wasn't much of a talker. To make the situation even more awkward, he came up with conversations like this.

"The usual," I replied with a shrug. There wasn't much to report aside from the Mandarin hacking into the system. I still wasn't entirely sure how that had happened. Tron had been searching through the files before I left. So far he'd found nothing that would indicate how the Mandarin even knew about the Grid.

Thankfully Grant didn't say much else. We were on our way to Tony's mansion, which I've only seen pictures of. I was surprised Tony had agreed to let me stay for a short time. Especially since the Mandarin did pose a threat that he was apparently involved in.

"So what do you know about the Mandarin?" I asked after lowering the volume on my iPod. I was thankful I had left Rinzler with Beck. Knowing Tony he would've tried running experience on poor Rinzler. Pepper had already warned me that he tried doing that more than once. He was desperate to find out how I managed to create Rinzler with the few codes I had pulled out.

Grant stiffened at the mention of the Mandarin. If he was surprised, he didn't show it.

"Not much. SHIELD's been keeping an eye on his attacks, tracking him down and ensuring that he's captured." His response only made me curious.

"**On and on we go, Come love take my hand, On and on we go, Time and time again, On and on we go, Back to where this all began, Come love take my hand**..." Eventually I turned off my iPod. We'd finally crossed the border into California.

_Remind me again why we drove all this way_? I tried not to roll my eyes as I thought of better methods of transportation. I understood that SHIELD was trying to keep a low profile. Taking the BUS would have only increased Tony's suspicion. And the last thing I needed was to see Agent May again.

"So are you doing anything for the holidays?" Keeping the conversation from getting even more awkward was difficult. Thankfully Christmas was only a few days away.

Most kids my age would be ecstatic that Christmas was so close. This was after all my first Christmas in over ten years in the User world. Fury had used it as an excuse for me paying Tony a visit.

"We're holding a small party on the BUS, nothing special," he replied after a moment of silence passed.

I simply shrugged in response before turning my iPod back on. So far there haven't been any threats from the Mandarin. But that didn't mean he wasn't ready to strike back. I focused on the music, hoping that time would move faster than I realized.

"**When hurt has come and left you broken, And you hold faith with trembling hands, I hear the question as your heartache, Turns to heartbreak, Am I a God who understands, But I've walked in your shoes, And I've got the scars to prove**..."

The car was suddenly pulled to a stop when Grant's phone began to ring. I raised an eyebrow when I realized that something must have come up. Judging by the expression on his face it wasn't anything good.

"Looks like there was a change in plans," he muttered after hanging up.

"Wonderful." I held back a sigh of frustration and banged my head against the back of the seat.

"We're heading for Rose Hill, Tennessee." His matter of fact tone made me raise an eyebrow in surprise.

Before I had a chance to respond, he made a left on the highway's exit.

I may not know that much about driving in the User world, but I was getting familiar with the roads. I'm not even sure if I would want a driver's license. I know next to nothing about getting from one place to the other.

I grabbed my iPod, only to find out something was wrong with it. The screen had a white screen with a static flow coming out of the earphones. Curiosity got the better of me and I put my headphones back on.

Moments later and an eerily familiar face appeared on the screen. How he got there was beyond me.

"True story about fortune cookies. They look Chinese, they sound Chinese. But they're actually an American invention," he said after a moment's pause followed.

Huh. You learn something new every day. I've never eaten a fortune cookie, but they're supposed to be good.

"Which is why they're hollow, full of lies, and leave a bad taste in the mouth. My disciples destroyed another cheap American knock-off; the Chinese Theater."

Why did that location sound familiar? I feel like I've heard Clint and Natasha talking about it every now and than. I was so in the dark on famous American monuments that I felt left out. There was still a lot to learn in the short time I've returned to the User world.

"Mr. President, I know this must be frustrating. But this season of terror is drawing to a close. And don't worry, the big one is coming. Your graduation."

The screen went out as soon as his face had appeared. I nearly dropped my iPod once it was over.

What did he mean by that? I could only imagine it would lead to something devastating. Clearly the Mandarin was out for blood. And the President was somehow involved in all of this.

"Did you get all of that?" I asked after stuffing my iPod into my pocket.

"Sounds like this is about to get ugly," Grant muttered.

Why did things always seem to go from bad to worse? I really hoped that what this Mandarin guy was saying wasn't true.

. . .

_"We're awaiting the arrival of Tony Stark. We're hoping he'll give us his reaction on the latest attack."_

_"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark! Our sources are telling us that there was another Mandarin attack. Is there anything else you can tell us about it?"_

_"Hey Mr. Stark, when is somebody gonna kill this guy? Just sayin'."_

_"Is that what you want? Here's a little holiday greeting I've been waiting to give the Mandarin. I just didn't know how to phrase it until now. My name is Tony Stark, and I am not afraid of you. I know you're a coward, so I've decided that you just died pal. I'm gonna go and get the body. There's no politics here, just good old-fashioned revenge. There's no Pentagon; it's just you and me. And on the off-chance you're a man, here's my address: 10090, Malibu Port, 90265. I'll leave the door unlocked. That's what you wanted, right?"_

. . .

"How long does it take to get there?" I was getting tired of sitting in the car for what felt like hours.

At least on the Grid there was something to look at. Here there was nothing but trees and fields. Grant wasn't making the trip any less exciting as we made our way to Rose Hill.

The latest threat from the Mandarin had left me shaken. It felt like I was stuck in a movie with no way out. Even if I stayed on the Grid he would have still posed as a threat. Because Sam and Tony had fixed the system, it was possible for the Mandarin to hack into it.

"About another hour and a half," Grant finally replied after a moment of silence followed.

He seemed to enjoy the drive despite how dull and boring it was. I supposed compared to the BUS this _was_ a bit more exciting.

This was bringing back memories of being stuck on the Grid. I'd gotten used to being trapped in the safehouse thanks to Tron's company, but this was different. Grant and Tron were nothing alike. It didn't help that he refused to speak while driving.

Grant finally had the decency to pull aside at a diner in the middle of nowhere. By now I was starving, and thankful he had stopped to eat.

The diner itself was empty, aside from the few employees on the floor and the local residents of this small town. In the background I could hear the television blaring on about the Mandarin's latest attack.

And of course Tony was caught in the middle of it all. I had to raise an eyebrow as I saw his face plastered across the widescreen.

"That idiot's gonna get himself killed," one of the costumers grumbled after the commercials started.

"I'm starting to think that agreeing to this wasn't a good idea." I stared at the glass of water as I tried to keep myself from panicking.

I wondered if the other SHIELD agents felt this way on their first missions. If they were anything like Clint and Natasha, they wouldn't let their emotions betray them. I was going to need to stay calm during this mission.

"Now you say that." I couldn't help but smirk when Grant stifled a sigh of frustration.

"Well it's not like I had another choice," I admitted.

Thankfully we didn't spend too much time in the diner. We were back on the road in a matter of minutes once the food was paid for. After hearing what Tony had said on the news, I was beginning to wonder if he really did want to get killed.

"Just remember to keep alert and not get shot at," Grant said as we made our way to Rose Hill.

I rolled my eyes in response. No duh Sherlock. Getting shot at was the last thing I had in mind.

Although it make me realize that Users were nothing like programs. They didn't have disks to use as weapons. Instead they used intelligence and willpower to get through fights. I just hoped I could avoid getting caught in the crossfire if it ever came to that.

* * *

**AN: It has been way too long since my last update. I'm sorry for that :( I'll try better next time! Thanks to Sunofaia, 2theSky and PrincessKai317 for reviewing! You guys are awesome :D**

**Lyrics come from On And On from Tenth Avenue North and Hurt from Everfound.**

**End of Line**


	5. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

Snow was falling by the time we reached the small town of Rose Hill.

It wasn't a very big town, maybe a few hundred people lived here. Most of the buildings looked like farms that were converted into homes. At the center of town was a local bar and motel.

And lucky me got to stay at the hotel for the next few days. Well, I suppose it wasn't entirely a bad thing. This was where the Mandarin's latest attack had taken place. According to Grant, I should start my investigation here.

Thankfully the motel room itself was in fairly decent shape. There weren't too many rooms to begin with. But the outside of the building had not looked appealing at all. It looked more like a rusty old barn that was ready to fall apart.

I threw myself on the bed and grabbed the tablet that Tony had given me. It was the one escape I had from this world.

A few minutes passed before the screen finally turned on. My relief was quickly replaced with worry when I noticed how exhausted Beck looked after appearing on the screen.

"Hey," I said after an awkward silence followed. "You look worse than usual," I added, trying to break the uneasy silence.

"Things haven't exactly been a cakewalk here." Beck's response almost made me laugh. He was starting to get familiar with User language. I wondered if anyone else on the Grid had noticed. "Everyone's afraid of the Mandarin," he added more cautiously.

Right. Should have known that he would scare everyone on the Grid. So far programs haven't seen what Users are capable of thanks to Clu. Now that Clu was gone, they were beginning to realize just how dangerous Users could be.

"Everything will be fine," I tried to sound reassuring. "SHIELD's already on the case."

I didn't miss the worry in Beck's eyes, and I almost regretted saying that.

_Of course he'd worry about me_, I reminded myself.

"Look, I need to go... just, promise me you'll be careful?"

That was a promise I couldn't keep. I've learned in a short time that keeping careful wasn't exactly easy when you were part of SHIELD. And staying safe was next to impossible at this point.

"I'll be fine," I replied.

Beck raised an eyebrow before the screen went blank. I held back a sigh and laid on the bed. For the next few minutes I just stared at the ceiling, wondering where to go next.

. . .

_"I've compiled a Mandarin database for you, sir. Drawn from SHIELD, the FBI, and CIA concepts. Initiating virtual crime scene reconstruction."_

_"Okay, what do we have here? His name is an ancient Chinese war mantle, meaning 'Adviser to the king'. South American insurgency tactics, yet he talks like a Baptist preacher. There's a lot of pageantry going on here... lots of theater..."_

_"The heat from the blast was an excess of 3000 degrees Celsius. Any subject within a 12.5 radius were vaporized instantly."_

_"No bomb parts found in a three mile radius of the Chinese Theater?"_

_"No sir."_

_"Any military victims?"_

_"Not according to public records, sir."_

_"Bring up the thermogenic signature, factor in three thousand degrees."_

_"The oracle cloud has completed the analysis. Assessing satellites and plotting the last twelve months of thermogenic occurrence now."_

_"Take away everywhere that there's been a Mandarin attack that... you sure that's not one of his?"_

_"It predates any known Mandarin attack. The incident was the use of a bomb to assist a suicide."_

_"Bring it around."_

_"The heat signature is remarkably similar. Three thousand degrees Celsius."_

_"That's two military guys. Ever been to Tennessee Jarvis?"_

_"Creating a flight plan for Tennessee."_

. . .

For once, I was thankful I had packed a heavy coat in my suitcase, and an extra pair of gloves and scarf. The snow had turned into a blizzard. Outside the air was bitingly cold. I was beginning to regret venturing outside to investigate this town.

I wasn't even sure what I should be looking for. So far I had little to no experience when it came to solo missions. At least on the Grid I knew every city like the back of my hands. Here I was about as helpful as a scared rabbit caught in the headlights.

Something had caught my attention. Despite the howling wind and blinding snow, I spotted something that seemed off.

How the heck do these people get around? My feet were constantly getting stuck in the snow. The snow on the Grid had never been this deep. I supposed on the Grid the snow had some kind of control that prevented it from getting too deep.

It didn't take me long to reach the center of town. To my surprise there were more homes and buildings here than there had been on the outskirts. Most of the town was deserted thanks to the storm. But a few people were braving the cold weather.

The door to what I guessed was the local General Store suddenly swung open. I took one step aside to see a young looking boy walking out. From what it looked like he was carrying a lot of bags, and struggling to keep them from falling out of his arms.

"Do you need any help?" The boy turned around after I asked the question. At the same moment, one of the bags fell. Without thinking I grabbed it before it could hit the ground.

"Thanks, mom usually doesn't let me do this alone, but she's talking on the phone right now," he explained after handing me another heavy bags.

"What's in the bags?" Why was I talking to a complete stranger? None of it really made any sense. But helping someone was just out of pure instinct. Or it was in my nature. Being on the Grid for so long had taught me who I could and who I couldn't trust. And something told me this kid wasn't a threat.

"Ammo for my potato guns," he explained with a sheepish grin. "That's part of the reason I'm on my own. Mom would've flipped if she found this."

I didn't bother asking what a potato gun was. Knowing Tony he would've gone into full detail and explained what it was.

By the time we reached his house the snow had slowed down. I was more than relieved that we didn't have to go far. His house was fairly close to the town's center, making travel easy in the snow.

"My name's Harley by the way," he said after opening the door to what looked like a workplace.

"Mira." I kept my name short and to the point. No need to tell him my whole story.

Harley dropped the bags on a counter before sitting on a stool nearby. "That's an odd name," he muttered after grabbing what looked like a gun of some sort.

_That must be his potato gun_, I guessed.

"It's a name," I said with a shrug.

In that moment he almost dropped his potato gun. I held back a sigh of frustration when he finally looked at me for the first time.

"You were with the Avengers, weren't you?" His question made me cringe. "I saw you on the news... when they were talking about Black Widow and Hawkeye."

"I was with them, for a short time," I murmured while looking away. The subject was never an easy one. There were times when I wanted to ask so many questions, but words would never come out.

"Is it true? The rumors?" I raised an eyebrow as he started asking questions.

I was tempted to say, "No, they're lies, all of them." But something stopped me from doing so.

"They're partly true."

"So what about that other guy... the one with spiky hair? What's his story?"

"Do you always ask so many questions?" I countered his question with another question, hoping to keep him distracted.

His reply was a sheepish grin. "Sorry." For a brief moment there was silence. He was studying the potato gun he had grabbed earlier and started fumbling around with it. "So do you know Iron Man?"

And the silence was broken. Holding back a sigh of frustration, I leaned against the couch before answering, "Possibly."

"Technically, he's dead."

My heart nearly skipped a beat when Harley handed me a newspaper. My eyes widened in disbelief as I read the headlines. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Actually, I didn't want to believe what I was reading.

Tony Stark, supposedly the invincible Iron Man, was dead.

* * *

**AN: Yeah I know, it's been another couple of weeks since my last update /= I've been... busy and a bit lazy. Blame it on Star Trek XD I've been rewatching the two movies since it was on FX.**

**Many thanks to Guest and PrincessKai317 for reviewing!**


	6. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

_"It's snowing, right? Where are we, upstate?"_

_"We're five miles outside of Rose Hills, Tennessee."_

_"Why? Jarvis! Not my idea! What are we doing here? This is thousands of miles away; I've gotta find Pepper... I've gotta..."_

_"I prepared a flight plan. This was the location."_

_"Who asked you? Open the suit."_

_"I... I think I might be malfunctioning, sir."_

_"Open eject... Man that's brisk! Maybe I'll just cozy back up for a bit."_

_"I actually think I need to sleep now, sir."_

. . .

_"Pepper, it's me. I've got a lot of apologies to make, and not a lot of time. So first off, I'm sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid, and it won't happen again. Also it's Christmas time; the rabbit's too big. Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because... I can't come home yet. I need to find this guy. You gotta stay safe. That's all I know. I just stole a poncho from a wooden Indian."_

. . .

I couldn't believe what I just read.

Tony Stark couldn't possible have died. It just didn't seem real. But there he was in the headlines. And it had happened so fast that nothing could be done to stop it. The one question that kept coming back to haunt me was why it had happened in the first place.

The Mandarin must be responsible for it. And if that was the case, what had happened to Pepper?

"Are you okay?" Harley's question made me jump. I almost forgot he was still standing there. "You really did know him, didn't you?"

If I wasn't so shocked I would've smacked that triumphant grin.

"I need to make a call," I suddenly muttered.

Throwing the paper back at him, I walked out of the barn and grabbed my iPhone. Truthfully I'd rather not give Clint or Natasha a call. But if anyone knew what was going on, they would.

Holding back a sigh, I dialed the number and waited as patiently as I could. Moments seemed to pass before the phone finally picked up.

"Please tell me it isn't true!" The words flew out of my mouth before anyone could answer.

"That what isn't true?" I couldn't help but cringe when I heard the sound of gunfire in the background. Almost forgot that Clint and Natasha were on their own missions. Something about catching someone on the loose in Italy.

"Iron Man being dead. Just got the news today." Almost at once the gunfire had ceased. I raised an eyebrow as I heard an arrow flying in the background, followed by an explosion.

"Kid, if I know anything it's that Iron Man is just about impossible to kill." It was a good thing Harley wasn't around to hear this. I'm pretty sure he'd be freaking out if he knew what was really going on. "I wouldn't worry about him."

As far as I knew, Clint had never gotten along with Tony. They may be acquaintances, but that was about it. One thing I was sure of though, was that Clint was right. Tony was smart enough to take care of himself. If anything had happened to him, he would know what to do.

"Thanks," I finally muttered. The fighting in the background had finally died down as well.

"Just try to stay out of trouble." And that was Clint's way of saying stay safe. I tried not to groan in annoyance as the phone hung up.

"Do you wanna watch a movie?" I was shaken back to reality by Harley's question. "Mom's not around, and my sister's at a friend's house tonight," he explained after noticing my questioning look.

Well that would explain why he was getting stuff for his potato gun. I doubted his mother would approve of such a weapon. For a kid so young, Harley sure knew how to make a good weapon.

. . .

For the next few hours we sat on a couch watching movies. By now the snow had finally slowed down, but not enough to make me want to trek back to the motel. Thankfully Harley was welcoming enough, and it was nice to get away.

"So what are they like, the Avengers?" he asked when we were on our second movie.

I shot him an icy look before thinking over what to say. Clearly I couldn't give away any information. What else could I say? They weren't the perfect team. Heck, they didn't even get along with each other. Maybe Bruce and Tony got along, but that was all I knew.

"You know, some things are better left unsaid," I replied after a few moments of silence followed.

An awkward silence followed as I grabbed my glass of hot chocolate.

How I wish such a drink was on the Grid. There was nothing more inviting than a warm cup of hot chocolate. At least it kept me distracted from my thoughts. Now wasn't exactly the best time to relax, but I wasn't even sure what to do after what had happened.

"Did you hear something?" Harley suddenly muted the television.

All I could hear was the windows rattling every now and than. "It's probably just the wind," I said with a shrug.

Harley was already grabbing his potato gun, leaving me to wonder if he was insane enough to go out on his own. I hated admitting that I would've done the same thing back on the Grid. Well, maybe not risk my life going out after curfew, but somewhere similar along the lines.

With a sigh of frustration, I decided it was better to follow him. I could never forgive myself if he got hurt because I wasn't there to watch him. We may have only just met, but that didn't give me any right to abandon a friend in need.

Carefully we made our way through the snow. To my relief the storm had come to a full end. The air was still bitingly cold, but at least the wind had calmed.

"Someone broke into the barn," Harley muttered crossly. I followed his gaze and realized that he was right.

Footprints could be made out in the snow. Whoever they belonged to had big feet. And they were dragging their feet as if they were exhausted.

Instinct kicked in as I reached for my light sword baton. It was the one weapon I had kept from the Grid. Long before I had met Tron it was given to me by Castor. And since that cycle it had served me well.

The footprints were more clear the closer we got. To my surprise it was a trail that came from the fields nearby. I was even more surprised to find that they weren't footprints at all. It looked like someone had dragged something big and heavy through the snow.

Why did I get the feeling that we shouldn't be doing this? Everything about this whole scene felt suspicious. It's late at night and someone just wanders into a barn, dragging something that could easily be a body.

Harley entered the barn without a second thought. Guess now I had no choice. I held up my light sword just in case the intruder was a threat. After everything I've been through, I'm not taking any chances.

What we found inside was something that made my heart nearly skip a beat.

It hasn't exactly been months since I've seen him. But it felt like years had passed since than. Perched on the sofa next to him was what looked like a torn apart Iron Man suit. Harley almost dropped his potato gun when he realized who it was sitting on his sofa.

"Freeze!" Tony dropped the pliers he had borrowed and stared at Harley in disbelief. "Don't move." I couldn't help but smirk when Harley held up his potato gun. If Tony had noticed me, he didn't give any indication. He had his eye on the potato gun Harley was clinging on to.

"You got me." Tony raised his hands, almost as if admitting defeat. "Nice potato gun. Barrel's a little long. Between that and the wide gauge, it's going to diminish your FPS..."

Without warning Harley shot at the roof of the barn, making us both jump. I had to give Harley some credit, he had guts. But if it was anyone else he was aiming at, things would have ended differently.

"And now you're out of ammo." It was difficult staying in the background, especially after realizing that the guy who was supposed to be dead was alive.

Didn't that sound familiar? I realized with a start that the same thing had happened to Tron. Clu had spread rumors throughout the Grid, making programs believe that he was dead.

"What's that thing on your chest?" Harley's question made me look at him in surprise.

For some time now I had learned what happened to Tony a few years ago. Natasha filled me in on the story. I was more amazed that Tony had built the thing with just scrap metal in a cave. That in itself deserved some kind of reward. Not that I would ever say that out loud.

"It's an... electromagnet. You should know. You've got a box of them right here." He nodded towards a box placed on the table.

"So what does it power?" This time I raised an eyebrow. He hadn't even noticed the Iron Man suit.

Tony frowned before aiming the lamp towards the Iron Man suit. Harley's eyes widened in shock when he finally recognized it.

"That's... is that Iron Man?" I was trying not to laugh when Harley dropped his gun and ran up to it.

"Technically I'm Iron Man," Tony replied. He raised an eyebrow after finally noticing me. "Hey kid; been a while hasn't it?"

"Technically, you're dead." Harley shoved the newspaper at Tony, ignoring how rude he was acting.

"Valid point." Tony eyed the paper curiously before throwing it aside. "So how's the Grid?"

If I wasn't so happy to see that he was alive, I would've smacked him. Turning my light sword back into a baton, I simply shrugged in response.

"The usual," I replied. "So what exactly did happen? From what I gathered the whole place was blown up. And what about Pepper, is she okay?" The questions suddenly came flooding out. Harley kept glancing at us while I stood at one side of the barn, trying to ignore the stares.

"You really are just like Romanoff, you know that?" I folded my arms and glared at him. "So what exactly are you doing here?" I was even more annoyed when he looked at me accusingly.

I wasn't about to tell him the truth. Harley didn't need to know about SHIELD, and Tony might not be the forgiving type. Besides, I was just thankful Tony was actually alive.

"Just exploring the states," I muttered.

"I take it Birdie and Widow don't know about this." Harley looked at us questioningly when Tony said that. And once again I felt the overwhelming urge to slug him in the arm. "Where are your parents?" Tony suddenly looked at Harley, who was still trying to decide whether or not he should say something.

"Well my mom already left for the diner, and dad went to the 7-Eleven to get scratchers. I guess he won, 'cause that was six years ago."

If Harley was looking for any sympathy, he didn't get it. Truthfully I couldn't relate to him real well. When I lived on the Grid I had all but forgotten my adoptive parents. Tron was more of a father figure than anyone else.

"Here's what I need: A laptop, a digital watch, a cell phone, the pneumatic actuator from your bazooka over there, a map of the town, a big spring, and a tuna fish sandwich."

"Fine, I'll get everything you need." It was difficult trying not to sound annoyed.

Without another word I stepped out of the barn. Harley eyed me suspiciously before I left. I wasn't going to bother asking why Tony needed all of that stuff. If he was as smart as he claimed, he would try rebuilding the Iron Man suit.

. . .

_"What's in it for me?"_

_"Salvation. What's his name?"_

_"Who?"_

_"The kid at school who bullies you. What's his name?"_

_"How do you know about that?"_

_"This is a piñata for a cricket. I'm kidding, it's a very powerful weapon. Point it away from your face, press the button on top. It discourages bullying. Non-lethal, just to cover one's ass. Deal. Deal? What'd you say?"_

_"Deal."_

_"Deal. What's your name?"_

_"Harley. And you're..."_

_"The mechanic. Tony."_

_"So is she really their kid?"_

_"What's it to you?"_

_"Just wonderin'. She looks just like them."_

_"That's not for me to say. But you know what keeps going on through my head? Where's my sandwich?"_

* * *

**AN: So there's the next chapter. Many apologies for the long wait. And may I say this was the longest chapter yet! Big thanks to 2theSky, PrincessKai317 and Briannajs-22 for reviewing!**


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